Paper Bird
by Erroneous Bard
Summary: "I'm scared," She breathed, "that everything's going to change." After all, tomorrow wasn't just the beginning of any normal day. Tomorrow Sasuke would be here. Sasuke would be here in Konoha. So many nights spent dreaming of the moment he would return. The time had come, and that moment would be rising with the sun but for some reason, it was only bringing her dread.
1. Cigarette Smoke and Restraints

_Note: This is a very new story of mine, but it's my baby. I am loving the way it's progressing in my mind at the moment._

_Be kind and review. Even if you have nothing to say. As a writer, I feed off of reviews, and I appreciate every comment I recieve. I feel neglected if no one reviews!_

_Also, please let me know if you spot any grammar or spelling errors, I'm soloing this. I have no Beta, so if I missed anything, I apologize. This reminds me, if you're interested in being my beta, please let me know! I need a partner!_

_Let's see..._

_Pairing: Sasu/Saku, Slight Shika/Saku_

_Rating: Will be rated M. For Language and sexual themes. _

_Goal: Next chapter should be up in 2 weeks. In final editing stages right now._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story of course, but we should all know this!_

* * *

_Cigarette Smoke and Restraints_

* * *

Surprisingly enough, Sakura didn't flinch at the sudden, abrasive contact that the man before her was offering. His long arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close to his side with one firm tug. With her shoulder wedged under his arm, it was a very soothing gesture.

She didn't reject the touch, and she didn't respond to it, she simply allowed to it happen. She drew a small comfort from it's clumsiness. A pleasant fluttering sensation buzzed to life in her chest in a way that she hadn't experienced before. How long had it been since a boy besides Naruto had shown her affection? Offered her comfort and understanding? After a moment of initial stiffness, she leaned into him gingerly as they gazed out at Konoha.

The night above them was heavy, and as she looked out at the village she loved so much, she felt a sad kind of peace squeeze her. Those thatched roof tops that she was so used to seeing Naruto hop across, smiling back at her all the way. The market, and the academy that she had spent so many days and nights visiting. Ichiraku ramen shop, which never seemed to have the same spirit whenever Naruto was away on a mission. She often visited that place in his stead, and it never failed to cheer her up imagining him sitting there beside him with his pork ramen and a big, loving grin. The hospital that she had devoted endless hours of her time, had poured her heart into. The training grounds that held all of her precious memories underneath the shining sun with Naruto and even Sasuke, training back when they were genin. Working day and night to improve themselves. Looking at those trees, those worn down stumps and open fields, always reminded her of Naruto's profound growth, Sasuke's natural talent and determination, and the nights she had spent with her shishou working until she thought she might break from exhaustion. Out in the distance her eyes caught the sight of their past heroes, the Hokage Monument which she hoped with all of her heart that she would see her best friends face upon one day. All of these things looked back up at them under the melancholy moon.

"I'm scared," She breathed, "that everything's going to change." His breathing was a steady rhythm beside her. The rise and fall of his chest familiar and calm, and his fingers flexing their hold against her upper arm, despite their support, gave her little reprieve. "Tomorrow everything will change."

He didn't reply with an uplifting promise of how he was certain he could make everything better, like Naruto would have. He remained grounded and reliably honest, and that was something that she had come to love about him. "Sitting around and worrying about it won't help. Thing's are going to work out, if they're meant to be. No sense in worrying about it, Sakura." It was a promise, made in his own way. Maybe not as untiring and powerful as Naruto's promises, but at least she could feel it in her bones. She could feel his honesty, and she could tell that it was the best he could do. She knew that he would be right beside her. As she was fighting to save the people, and the home, they both loved so much. As she tried her hardest to save every life that she came across in danger of being lost in the hospital. When she had to stay up late with Tsunade, and whenever Naruto or any of their other friends needed her. He would be there whenever she needed him. "Don't worry about it..." He ghosted, his eyes growing distant.

He wouldn't let her down. She had come to trust this man. To draw companionship from his silence, and awkwardness.

She twisted out of his grasp and turned to face him. His dark eyes, heavy lidded as they always were, held hers unfalteringly. "I can't promise that everything will be okay, but I can say that I won't let you down, and neither will Naruto." He dug around in his pocket for a cigarette, lighting it and taking a drag before he continued. His words were carried on the cloud of smoke off into the night sky, dissipating in a mystifying way. "Tsunade trusts you with her life, and there isn't a civilian or shinobi in Konoha who doesn't know and respect you. So stop worrying about this. You'll pull through."

She sighed, her heart warmed by his conviction, but her mind picking apart his kind words with harsh criticisms.

She wanted to listen to his advice and draw comfort, but she just couldn't be truly satisfied. After all, tomorrow wasn't just the beginning of any normal day. Tomorrow _he _would be here.

She brought a hand up to her chest and clutched the necklace that Naruto had given her. Looking at it brought up both fond, and woeful memories.

Tomorrow Sasuke would be here. Sasuke would be here in Konoha. So many nights spent dreaming of the moment he would return. The time had come, and that moment would be rising with the sun, but it was only bringing her dread. Yamato, Sai, and of course, her wonderful Naruto, were bringing him back tomorrow. They had succeeded in capturing Sasuke, and we're currently on the way back. They should be back by the morning light.

She let out a heavy sigh, and before her, her newest treasure in life didn't offer another word of unnecessary repetitive comfort. He simply stood with her in companionship smoking a cigarette under the moon. He wouldn't go anywhere, and he wouldn't complicate things with yet more words that she wouldn't agree with. He had said his peace, and would now stand with her for one reason; So she didn't have to be alone, which his intelligent eyes had picked up on as her weakness.

She didn't like to be alone, so he would offer her companionship, and it was something she appreciated more than she could ever explain to him.

"Thanks Shikamaru."

* * *

The last thing Sasuke remembered was laying on the flat of his back, gazing up into the blue eyes of his once best friend, that had haunted his memory so many days and nights of his life.

He had lost. An overwhelming flood of self loathing, pathetic cowardice, and failure hit him like a ton of weigh pressing down on his chest.

He became aware of the fact that he couldn't move. Not for a reason he would have assumed. Not because the pain was too intense, in fact, he felt far better than he logically should, all things considered. He couldn't move because his hands were restrained, along with his ankles, legs and torso. Strapped down like a rabid beast.

The urge to struggle against them became too intense to squelch. He tried to see how far he could rise, how much slack those straps had allowed him, only to find that he was definitely not going anywhere. Panic would have set in if a noise somewhere in the room hadn't alarmed him.

In attempting to open his eyes, he was rewarded with sustained darkness. His eyes were covered by a cloth that was dark enough to let no light penetrate.

He focused his attention on that sound, clinging to it like his sanity depended on it. Being deprived of all his sense but his hearing, perhaps it did. He realized how it looked, suddenly stiffer than a board, barely breathing and suspiciously quiet, but his instincts had completely taken over.

Listening to any real indication that the person in the room had realized his alertness, he noticed nothing in particular. If they knew he was hanging on to their every movement, they didn't seem to care. The very soft sound of foot steps in a scattered form, walking no where in particular. He recognized the sound of nervous pacing fairly well. Whoever was sharing this room with him was clearly uncertain of what to do next, but they most certainly weren't worried about him.

The unknown presence in the room was suddenly overtaken by several pairs more. At least three more people had entered rather loudly.

He stiffened at the sound of a familiar, deep voice. "Uchiha Sasuke. Let's get this over with." A humorless, dry tone. The shuffling of feet brought the voice closer, as well as the smell of cigarette smoke. "It is in your best interest to answer every question we ask, honestly, and without hesitation or disregard of details."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to wrestle against his restraints again.

Why was he so weak? If he hadn't lost his battle, he wouldn't be here. If Naruto hadn't bested him, he would be the one affronting. Instead, he was strapped to a fucking table! He once again felt overwhelmed with self disgust.

"Do you understand me?" The recognizable, dull voice scraped against Sasuke's already dangerously low nerves like metal grinding against metal.

In a small display of insolence, he turned his head away from the direction of the voice, as far as the leather strap holding his forehead to the table would allow.

There was a small stretch of silence in which no one in the room moved even slightly, and Sasuke found that he was holding his breath as he waited for the only person he knew for certain, to speak.

It had been years, 6 or 7 at least, since he had seen or heard tale of Shikamaru Nara, but yet here he was. He recognized the voice without fail. He would know it anywhere. Indifferent, yet incredibly wise, and tactical. That was what worried Sasuke most about Nara. He could always sense an underlying purpose to all of his words. They may have sounded bored and lazy, but Sasuke always had the feeling that deep down, he was searching. He was looking, probing, hoping for the answers he wanted. That was the problem with Nara. He was a strategist in battle, an adept Shogi player, and Sasuke assumed he applied those things to his every thought and action. One never really stopped being an expert strategist.

He would use extreme caution around the shadow wielder. Especially in a situation that left him as vulnerable as this one.

A deep sigh dusted across Sasuke's cheek, smoke and displeasure coloring it. In his mind, he imagined a picture of a very unhappy man.

"How troublesome."

"You should know, Uchiha," A second voice snapped against Sasuke's senses like a whip, and he found it difficult to keep the surprise away from his face. He tensed as the very deep, and calm voice began again, "your cooperation is not necessary. This interrogation will proceed with or without your consent. However, if you wish to have an opportunity to come out of this room alive, I suggest you attempt to play nice."

He could vaguely say that he recognized the voice, but no face or name surfaced in his memory. It was marginally disturbing that this other man which he did not know was in the room. He knew how to react when assuming Shikamaru Nara was before him, leading the way. With another in the room, it greatly diminished his control over the situation.

Suddenly, he was fairly concerned with trying to pinpoint just how many others were in the room, and if he knew them.

Shikamaru Nara. This much he was certain of. The looming presence just to his right side, reeking of smoke, and indifference. This man he knew for certain.

He noted that the man who had just spoken was the farthest away from him. The voice, though sounded familiar, struck no further cord of recognition in his mind.

To his left, he heard the softest of all the footing, the very first person to enter his room, and the one who was previously pacing nervously. This person, was breathing heavily, and was close enough that he almost hear their heart beat.

He could sense one other presence in the room, but they also had said nothing, and gave no tale tell sign for him to distinguish.

"So what gives?" Nara's voice invaded Sasuke's ears, and the disdain he felt grew tenfold. "Are you going to cooperate, or should we tell the Hokage that you'll be choosing the death sentence?" Funny, he had never known Nara to have such a dry sense of humor.

"Hn." He grunted, and he found himself incredulous at the voice he heard next.

"That's a yes, right?" A very jagged, scary emotion tore through him. Naruto! One of the people in the room was Naruto!

How had Naruto been in the room for so long and he hadn't known it? This time, he was sure the emotion did play across his face. Shock, followed by uncontrollable anger. The self loathing was present also, like an ugly, raging monster inside of him

"They actually let an idiot like you into an interrogation room?" He tried to keep his voice an even tone of disgust, but he was sure it sounded less than impressive. How intimidating could he be strapped to a table and blindfolded?

Naruto's shuffling feet came up beside Nara and his nervous laughter filled Sasuke with dread. "Come on Sasuke, just agree. Tell them what they need, so you can come back. You belong here…" He said quietly.

Sasuke's knuckles went white with pressure, and he felt a jab in his heart. How could he be expected to just come back to this village? Especially after being defeated and dragged back here. It was too much to ask of him.

"You don't know anything." He stated blandly, and Naruto seemed to be holding his breath. He felt as if he were submerged under freezing cold water.

There was something very familiar about what Naruto said next. "I know we need you back, teme." There was a sad silence that carried through the room.

Sasuke felt a sharp pain in his chest. How could be forgive Naruto for defeating him? How could he forgive himself for everything he had done, and just resume life in Konoha like nothing had happened?

Nara's voice had taken an unkind tone when he spoke again, more resentment than Sasuke thought he was capable of producing. "Uchiha Sasuke, do you willingly confess to the murder of Uchiha Itachi, Sanin Orochimaru, and countless other shinobi, allied and rogue over the past 8 years?"

Sasuke released a sigh. "Yes."

Someone where to his left there was a very feminine sigh of relief that fluttered across his skin, and with it, he felt his heart freeze. Who would find relief in that admission? And why did that tone of voice sound so familiar.

"The only easy part of this will be your cooperation, Uchiha." The other voice in the room, the older man who had scalded him earlier spoke now, "Now we have to document all of your terribly misguided crimes. So let's start with the beginning." His voice became louder as he came closer, and with him, dread buried itself in Sasuke's chest.

"Tell me about the night you became a missing-nin. Tell me what beckoned you to betray your team members, and your village."

Absolute darkness took him, filling his chest and blackening his heart. He did not want to tell this story. Somewhere within the corners of his mind, he recognized the night he left Konoha as being one of his darkest regrets. He swallowed his pride as he began his story, unsure of why he was telling it at all, but by this point, reliving it either way. It was too late now.


	2. Clarity

_Going to retrace a bit of my last steps and tell a bit from Sakura's POV. Followed by Sasuke's. I Hope you enjoy._

_Review if you will, and also, if you're a beta, please consider helping me! It incredibly difficult not having a beta. So if there are any mistakes that I didn't catch, please inform me._

_Pairing: Sasu/Saku, slight mostly onesided Shika/Saku, and there is a really strong friendship Naru/Saku, that might turn into something more. Depends on what I decide to do._

_Rating: M_

_Goal: Next chapter should hopefully be up by next week. If anything, a week and a half. _

_Disclaimer!_

* * *

_Clarity_

* * *

The morning came far too quickly for Sakura. She gathered her hair atop her head, tying it up with her favorite ribbon, and then gingerly placing her forehead protector where it belonged. She was a real ninja now. She sentimentally thought of the first time she wore it on her forehead as she snapped together the buckles of her shin guards and wound wraps around her knees. She was easily four times more powerful than she was then, but her youthful enthusiasm, fueled by her nearness to her team before it was broken, had largely diminished.

She pulled her fingerless gloves into place, and zipped up her standard green jonin vest. She once would have worn her very favorite red shirt, but lately she had developed a fondness for the traditional uniform. It made her feel one with her fellow shinobi. On a day like this one, which she was going to be spending with someone who had betrayed both her and their village, it made her feel a sense of pride for her nation, and her job. She had never been prouder to be a ninja.

She waited with her hands wringing knots of anxiety, her eyes downcast to the floor, and her heart pounding in her chest in a way that made her light headed. She had been waiting in this room for what felt like hours. Waiting on the approval to go in and give her examination.

Of course Tsunade had sent her personally to examine Sasuke. To heal him, and be present for the interrogation. Short of the Hokage herself, Sakura was the only qualified medic in the village worthy of being present for Sasuke's questioning, and healing process.

At first she wasn't sure she wanted to be a part of this, but as the time passed she realized that she had to. In some sad way, this could be the only way she would ever truly know anything about what Sasuke had been thinking. If he cooperated with them, there was a good chance Tsunade would go easy on him. A light punishment would be favorable, of course, it meant that she and Naruto could possible have their team back_. Team seven_, she thought, hesitantly allowing her hopes to rise.

The sound of a knock at the door, she turned expectantly, and wasn't surprised to see blonde hair and blue eyes appear there.

There was a small moment after her best friend stepped in that they were both frozen, unable to step over the knowledge that this was the day they had both been waiting, before Naruto hurdled over it with a grin.

His crushing embrace made her heart ache, and she let out a breathy, water logged version of his name into his chest. She didn't know where the urge to cry had come from, but it hit her like a stinging slap to the face.

As he released her, she squashed her palms against her eyes, scrubbing away the tears. She knew he would never blame her for her emotions, but she had already told herself not to cry today. She wouldn't waste any more tears on things that were beyond her control.

After a moment of preparation, which he kindly gave her without even pestering her like young Naruto would have, she gazed up at his handsome face.

His normally amiable, charming face was subdued behind a serious frown, his bright blue eyes deeper than she could imagine any other human beings eyes could ever being.

His lips were stretched thin as he leaned in for a gentler embrace, and she shivered as he whispered her name into the shell of her ear. "Sakura." Genuine love and adoration colored his voice rich and warm.

She returned his embrace in a way that she didn't think she could do with anyone else in the world.

As she separated from him, she slid a hand down his chest, her thin fingers snagging against the coarse green fabric of his vest. She gave him a simple grin. "Look at you." She said warmly, "You look great."

When her cute Naruto-kun had grown up, she didn't know, but to look at him brought something sharp, sweet and proud out in her that she couldn't help but let reflect on her face.

Surprisingly, Naruto was also in jonin gear. He looked striking in his shinobi gear, with his bright blue eyes, and his big shoulders, and- when had he gotten so tall?- so very un-Naruto, that she was almost stunned.

He rubbed a hand behind his head, blushing an enchanting smile. "So do you." His magnificent smile that she loved so much, faded quickly however, and it reminded her of what a day it promised to be.

"Today's the day," He said, his eyes creasing with nostalgia, and a hint of cheerless determination. "We're gonna keep our promises."

She wanted to say, _Naruto you're crazy! He didn't come willing, you had to knock him out and drag him back_. _He's never going to be happy to see us again, _but she couldn't bring herself to doubt him. Not with that smile, and unwavering faith and loyalty. So she just gave him a tight lipped smile, a light hug, and said, "Let's do this!"

She was allowed in the room first, being assured that Sasuke was unconscious, and in need of medical attention.

She held her breath, creaking the door open carefully, and slowly. It was a powerful, wordless feeling to know that he was just on the other side of that door. Years and years now she had held onto her memories, and clung to her hopes and dreams. For so long now she had watched Naruto's conviction grow stronger, and felt her own fading in the most shameful of ways.

Though she never wanted to admit it, in many ways, she had lost her faith in Sasuke. She felt it happening, late at night under the pale glow of the moon lit sky. Curled feebly around herself, arm cradling her knees, and eyes heavy from sleep deprivation, she would think of him less and less. When he did wander into her thoughts, she felt only a sad resentment of him for making her and her beloved Naruto wait for so long. For making them waste their time and devotion on something that would probably never be. She had accept Sasuke's betrayal, and absence from their life long ago.

Yet, here she was.

The pressure it took to open the door felt like it was being taken from her chest. A freeing, optimism sparked in her somewhere deep inside. As she looked on into the dark room, lit only by one pale beam focused just above the surgical table centered in the middle, she spotted him.

She wasted no time, ignoring the bizarre fluttering that had taken life in the pit of her stomach, she ran to him.

Many wounds, but most of them were essentially healing up, presumably over the lengthy trip he had been forced to make. All in all, he wasn't in as bad of a condition as she was expecting.

Her green chakra probed though him, sealing old wounds, examining him in great detail.

She slid her fingers over the fabric of his shirt, her eyes grazing over his body in a surreal moment. This was Sasuke. Her fingers began to tremble with emotion.

Her hands were currently resting upon Uchiha Sasuke's chest, her chakra coursing through his body. She was healing his wounds, and she was actually physically touching him at the same time.

She was suddenly very grateful for the presence of the blindfold covering those tragically beautiful eyes. If she had to look at them, even closed, she might not be able to focus.

After a moment, she turned away from the table, making her way to the door. She needed to get this over with. It was like she had swallowed a paperweight, and it was settling uncomfortably in her lungs, making it hard to breath.

She knew the interrogation team would be waiting for her approval to begin the questioning. After leaning her head out to give them the go ahead, she turned back to look at Sasuke once more.

His breathing was much more strained than earlier, and she pondered whether to inspect him further. Irregular breathing while he slept was peculiar.

It couldn't possibly be his injuries that was causing his irregular pattern of breathing. She had, after all, just healed all of his injuries.

She froze. Could he be awake?

To know how to properly respond to the knowledge that she was alone in the room with Sasuke, who was conscious and unsure of where he was or what was going on, was more than she could bare, and she waved her hand at Naruto through the window in the door.

At her signal, they wasted no time.

Naruto was first in, followed closely by Shikamaru, who she couldn't help but relax as his calm presence brushed past her. She didn't know if he intentionally touched her arm as he walked by, but she was instantly reassured by it regardless. Shikamaru went straight to Sasuke's bedside, taking control of the room quickly.

The last in the room was Yamanaka Inoichi, with his jaw set tightly, and his aqua eyes aimed at Sasuke with an coldness that Sakura could decide how to feel about.

She walked around very slowly and carefully, taking a place just across from Shikamaru, on the opposite side of the table. "Uchiha Sasuke, let's get this over with." A pause in which Shikamaru looked up in her eyes. He held them for a moment, and she thought she could see animosity shining in the darkness there. "It is in your best interest to answer every question we ask, honestly, and without hesitation or disregard of details. "

Sasuke was clearly not going to cooperate.

Sakura felt her shoulders shaking. How long could she handle this? How much more could she tolerate before she broke?

She had spent so long dreaming of him. Hoping that she wasn't wasting her time. Somewhere inside, she had hoped, had known, that he wasn't as terrible as everyone thought. He wasn't a monster, he was just so stubborn.

For so long, she couldn't bring herself to hate him, even when she would try so hard. She wanted to be more angry with him than she was. Yet, all she could feel was a bitterness. Bitter that she and Naruto both had so much love left to waste, and time left to give, on someone like Sasuke.

When Inoichi spoke, Sakura couldn't bring herself to pull her eye sight from Sasuke. He had stiffened, his entire frame going stock still.

Everyone was floating in silence. Waiting on the decision from Sasuke that would free them from the suspense. They would know what to do if he would just answer them.

It was like being held captive by that familiar voice when she heard his trademark, "Hn."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Naruto's trembling, and the very telling sign of his clenched teeth.

"That's a yes, right?" He growled, his blue eyes blazing with resolve.

She felt his spirit burning. It was akin to the way she was feeling. They were so close. She looked at Naruto, directly into his eyes, and she found that he was looking right back at her.

What they both felt at that moment, she knew had to be the same. Unimaginable hope and determination. They were close enough to taste it.

_Please Sasuke!_

"They actually let an idiot like you into an interrogation room?" Her knees felt weak. She hadn't heard his voice in so long, it almost felt like a knife in her side.

Naruto's bright eyes never left hers as he came forward, close enough that she had the urge to reach out and touch him. To hold his hand as they both willed their stubborn ex-teammate to come back to them.

For a moment, she was lost in the pure emotion present in Narutos eyes. She couldn't even look down at Sasuke, or glance over at Shikamaru. All she could feel was Naruto's raw emotion.

She listened to him speaking, and felt her heart sinking with sadness. It felt like she was lost in his eyes for hours.

Shikamaru's serious tone withdrew her from her bog. Her head cleared considerably as she looked down at Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke, do you willingly confess to the murder of Uchiha Itachi, Sanin Orochimaru, and countless other shinobi, allied and rogue over the past 8 years?"

She held her breath. _Please Sasuke_, she clenched her fist around the fabric of her shirt, over her heart. _Please, Sasuke!_

His lips parted, and from them came his dull acknowledgement of his participation. "Yes."

She released the deep breath she had been holding, her heart swelling with joy. Even though it pained her to hear him admit it out loud, it was a great sign. This was very good! Her eyes captured Naruto's and she could tell that he was just as happy to hear the compliance as she was.

He was going to cooperate, and give them what they needed. If he was willing to tell his tale, then there was a possibility that he would be forgiven.

Inoichi was coming closer, and the words he was saying was filling Sakura with dread. Could it be?

Would Sasuke tell that story? The one that began with her worst memory?

She wrapped her arms around herself as he began to speak. His words, each one that he produced, tore a small hole in her heart.

* * *

His breath was becoming shallow as he remained in his suspended state of capture. Eye sight and the ability to move revoked. With no freedom what-so-ever, he could only recount the story laying on the flat of his back, with his eyes open, but only seeing darkness.

Where could he possibly start? "In the forest of death, with my former team-"

"-Team 7" Shikamaru Nara interrupted, him and Sasuke stiffly attempted to nod his head.

"-Team 7, we ran into Orochimaru, in the form of another genin taking the chunin exams. It was there that the seed was hatched, not of my own thinking, but because of the poisoning of my mind by Orochimaru's curse mark.

"I began to reason that if I left the village and fled to Orochimaru," He paused. This was such a long, and dreadful story, "that I could reach my goal much sooner."

"Your goal being?" Once again it appeared to be Nara in control of the examination.

"My goal being revenge." Those words that he had said so often, tasted sour in his mouth now that he had indeed had his revenge.

Nara was relentless, in tone and command over the situation alike. "Revenge against Uchiha Itachi, for the massacre of the Uchiha clan." It wasn't a question, but Sasuke found himself attempting a firm nod once again, his neck straining against the restraints.

"Correct."

"You did reach your goal," Nara's bland voice was beginning to burn a hole in Sasuke's tolerance, "in the defeat of Uchiha Itachi."

"Correct." He ground out.

"At the expense of betraying your village, retreating into the company of the sanin Orochimaru, as well as several attempts at murder towards many shinobi of Konoha as well as the allied villages." Sasuke's pulled into a tight line. "The two of your former team mates included."

After a moment, Sasuke nodded, "This is correct."

There was a stretch of silence in the room, and it reminded Sasuke that somewhere around him, Naruto must have been present. He hadn't heard the blond leave, so naturally he must have been there. Silently listening to all of his crimes laid out in front of him.

Laying in the darkness of a lone interrogation room, located somewhere deep in the entrails of Konoha, Sasuke felt a prick of guilt. Something he had never felt or considered before.

"All of this is being taken into consideration. I am supposed to inform you that, if you cooperate, including a full report of your actions, and any intel you may be able to provide on any missing nins that you had contact with, the Hokage will consider these things while deciding your punishment."

Sasuke felt a pressure in his chest. "That means you may be allowed to return to Konoha, provided your level of cooperation is satisfactory."

Did he really want to come back to Konoha. "Are you willing to agree to all terms there in, as well as supply every detail, restricted or not, that you may offer to Konoha, in exchange for your possible pardoning?"

Sasuke took a deep breath. Give up every dark detail of his life away from Konoha, in exchange for the chance to return there. Was it what he really wanted.

He clenched his fists, strapped to his sides, until his knuckled popped and his fingers ached. "Yes."

The very familiar and warm, "Chaa!" Of Naruto's celebration, "Can you believe it? He said yes, Sakura-chan!"

It felt exactly like being hit with Naruto's rasengan had. A surreal feeling, silence all around, like you could hear a ran drop falling. A breathless, scary feeling, like the air was being sucked from his lungs and fed to Naruto's powerful wind attack.

_Sakura. _

_Sakura._

_Sakura._

Sakura was here. She was here.

His fingers went limp at his sides and images of his hands flexing around her neck, her wide eyes, his intense, blind hatred, and her sad acceptance.

Sakura was _here._

He suddenly forgot he could breath, and he barely heard Nara's voice say, "Very well, Uchiha. We'll allow for a break, and when we return, you will relinquish all of the information you can on your experiences away from Konoha…." If he said anything else, Sasuke didn't hear it.

He didn't hear anything that proceeded except the wild beating of his heart.

_Sakura._


	3. Anywhere but here

_A .slight time skip. Very slight._

_Also, things will be speeding up after this chapter. It's only in Sasuke's pov, so enjoy. Sorry that it's short by the way._

_Pairing: SasuSaku, implied NaruSaku, and there will be occasional one sided ShikaSaku._

_Goal: 2 or 3 weeks and it'll be up._

_Disclaimer._

* * *

_Anywhere but here_

* * *

He was very surprised to find that they were going to release him from his dreadful restraints before the continuation of his second hearing. He felt surprisingly grateful for the freedom that normally he would have expected. Perhaps now he had actually earned it?

He felt cold hands on him, calloused and seemingly reluctant for the contact at all. They withdrew quickly after each snap signifying his freedom to move.

First his ankles were free, and he almost let his relief come out on a sigh. His knees were soon after unleashed, and he- Sasuke Uchiha- thought he might have felt like dancing. If ever he could imagine himself doing such an absurd thing, it would be now.

Slowly he had use of almost all of his body.

"I'm releasing your hands now. Do no attempt anything stupid that you'll regret." Nara stated, his classic careless attitude, the disinterest present, but also Sasuke sensed a bit of bitterness.

Sasuke felt almost constant, thriving dislike for this man. "Hn." He heard first rather than felt his hands being released, and he fought off a groan of pleasure.

Slowly he was being helped to sit up, and even though he had the use of his hands, he didn't reach up to remove the cloth over his eyes. Not just yet. He was reluctantly waiting on Nara's cue, which came after another moment that he spent grudgingly inhaling cigarette smell and dusty, dank air.

It was achingly, slowly that his eyes were being uncovered, but eventually he began to see. It was like opening his eyes for the first time and he was annoyed that the first sight he met was blank, murky brown eyes, and an almost aggressive smile. "Welcome to cell number C58, Uchiha Sasuke." Nara slurred in his usual tone, but there was something unexpected beneath the words and the demeanor that Sasuke couldn't decide if he wanted to know the reasoning behind it yet.

The very sight of him especially so smug, almost caused Sasuke to do something he might have regretted soon there after, but he stopped short.

He stopped short, being robbed of his awareness of Nara at all. Suddenly, the only thing he could see was green eyes. His heart sped up ever-so-slightly, which was a big deal for an Uchiha.

Vibrant. That's all she was. A sharp jab of color against the otherwise gray toned, monotonous scene.

Big, huge, wide avocado green eyes rimmed by soft eyelashes that draped against her cheeks with each blink. Peachy skin, perfect and faintly freckled. Her bright, and startlingly familiar pink hair was held up away from her face, making each expression that flickered to life over that angelic face light up like a movie on a big screen. The last time he had seen Sakura, he had attempted to take her life, probably would have if the circumstances hadn't shifted. It was going on a long time now, but the memory was still pungent to him.

In her shinobi gear, with her expression crafted into a neutral gaze, he felt like he was staring at a replica. At someone else's version of her. Someone who did not know her very well at all.

After all, if they knew Sakura, they would know that she always, every time she saw him, without fail, showed some kind of vivid emotion. Wide eyes, parted lips in shock, and determination. Her chest always heaved with excitement and she was always so stunned by his presence.

This fake, ghost of Sakura merely stood before him with a very vacant expression. Whoever it was that made this replica of her, must not have known her very well at all. He knew her expressions extremely well, they must have miscalculated his knowledge.

The only thing he really knew about his past female teammate was her expressions. He knew them, because he looked at her often, and he knew that she was annoying, because he heard her speaking often. Had spent any nights trying to tune out her confessing her love for the millionth time. These things; Her expressions, her voice, and her so-called love of him, were the only real things he knew about her.

"Hello Sasuke." She said quietly, and he felt defiance bubbling in his core.

_This is not Sakura!_

The voice was _wrong_. Not the tone, but the mannerism there. She wouldn't have spoken to him so casually! Not after so long! Not when he was sitting in Konoha, giving up information so that he could return to them.

And what's with that bland face she was making? It was like looking into a matte, dull and sandy slab of concrete. Hard and decided.

She came towards him with carefully timed, slowly paced steps. As she reached him, Sasuke noticed that Nara had quietly placed himself far in the corner of the room, but he watched with beady eyes. Seated out of the way, in the shadows, Sasuke fought the urge to smirk, _how fitting_.

"Are you feeling better?" His attention fluttered back to Sakura.

He didn't answer her, maybe because he didn't know what to say, or maybe because to keep with diehard patterns. It was somewhat surprising to him that she didn't seem affected by his lack of answer. He reasoned that she most likely knew him well enough to draw a conclusion for herself. He tried to ignore the thought that she didn't care either way.

Her hands came towards him, funneling a thin stream of her warm green chakra into his chest. It wasn't a bad feeling. Slightly invasive and awkward, but not unbearable. In fact, it was much warmer than he ever thought it would be. He had never thought about her chakra much. When they were younger, her skills were so weak, that he never bothered to put any consideration into what her chakra would be like. Now that he had experienced it, he realized that it was just like she had always been. Warm and gentle, a little hesitant and very precise.

He didn't look up into her too bright green eyes on purpose. Instead he focused on the door, where he could see Naruto's blond hair through the small box window there.

It was a very serious, silent procedure, which he spent avoiding eye contact with the pink konoichi before him. Instead he focused on Naruto, who came back through the door at that moment, with a grin on his fox-like face.

He seemed pleased to see Sasuke without the restraints, and it showed on his face.

Naruto grinned at him, and looped his arm around Sakura, who's hands remained steady as she probed him with her warm chakra. She didn't react to Naruto's arm around her, but she didn't remove it either. If anything, her shoulders relaxed, and the intense frown creasing her forehead lessened.

"You'll be outta here soon enough Sasuke." He chuckled, "just as soon as you answer all their questions. Isn't that great?"

Sasuke didn't answer him.

He had, in fact, made up his mind that he wouldn't answer Naruto or Sakura for the duration of his stay in this room.

He did however study them both. Studied how subtly mature Naruto was, and how forced Sakura's aloofness was. She was clearly trying to ignore him, that much he was certain of.

She let out a deep breath and withdrew her hands, taking a step away from him, and towards Naruto.

Naruto seemed like the same carefree, happy boy he once was, only something was different. This Naruto was really, genuinely happy, because he seemed to have something that young Naruto only dreamt about. This Naruto that was standing before him, appeared to have the trust, respect, and love, of the Sakura he had always loved.

For some reason, all of these facts piled up on Sasuke chest, and constricted his air way painfully, startlingly.

He found himself feeling more alone than ever.


	4. Distinction

_Note: Okay, so it's been a while since I've uploaded, but I do have a few legit excuses. I've been really ill lately, but they've settled me down a bit with some medicine, so I'm feeling much better, and recently my birthday passed! : ] But I'm back now, and I'm really feeling good about my fanfiction again. So please stay with me!_

_This chapter moves the story along a bit. There's actually quiet a bit of shipping in this chapter._

_There's a bit of Sasuke's fascination of Sakura, a bit of Naruto and Sakura love, which I love, and a bit of casual, subtle Shikamaru and Sakura. That particular pairing I just enjoy generally, because I happen to think that Shikamaru is a very underrated character, and I enjoy pinning him to Sakura, because I think they mesh well. Especially Sakura in later years._

_This chapter I made much longer since you guys had to wait so long for it! Please make sure to review, not just favorite! It helps me much. Criticism is appreciated and I love it when you tell me that you like my writing! It inspires me! : ]_

_Pairing: Sasu/Saku, Naru/Saku, and slight Shika/Saku. Of course, my ulitmate pairing, will be SasuSaku...Or will it?! Mwahahaha!_

_Rating: There will eventually be lemonin this, but for now it's mostly just bad language! _

_Goal: New chapter may take a while to get up, because college is starting back next week, so I'll have lots of classes and homework to attend to, but I'll try to update regularly as possible. This particular story is my baby, so I'll make sure to nurse it into a fine young lad of a story!_

_Disclaimer!_

* * *

_Distinction _

* * *

With Sasuke's gaze anywhere but on her, she was beginning to relax a bit. She had never felt more tense than she had when she was healing him, and of course, as had become habit, it seemed only Naruto's presence could relax her.

She took a step or two away from the table as Shikamaru came forward to continue the questioning. Naruto followed her, and from their place slightly out of the way, he took a moment to inspect her.

There was a softness in Naruto's eyes as they gazed down at her. His hand came down, landing on her shoulder in a weighted gesture, most likely the best he could do to convey his feelings. With Sasuke in the room, Naruto wouldn't speak any words than may have given her away. He was always trying to protect her and this was no different. After all, she knew that he knew why she was so upset. She knew he was worried about her, and she knew that he was hoping with all of his heart that her pain would go away. She had known this boy long enough that she could practically read his thoughts.

"He's going to heal fine." She spoke the words quietly. A blush tinted her cheeks as she gazed up at him. Of course, his smile was so intuitive. Like he just _knew _every thought that was going on inside of her, every feeling, confliction, aching, concern and longing. Naruto knew so _much_.

Many people thought such negative thoughts about Naruto. They thought he was immature, idiotic, or strange. Sakura gazed at his blue eyes, and with his tolerant, understanding demeanor, and she felt her chest constrict with fondness. This boy was anything but an idiot.

Did he do stupid things? Yes, quite often in fact.

Was he loud? Yes. Annoying, sometimes. Did he disobey the rules? Naruto had never been a fan of rules, this was a known fact. Anyone who was around him on a regular basis could see that he wasn't a fan of rules.

Did he disregard practice, and do things he knew he shouldn't- including putting his life at risk on a normal basis? Why yes, that seemed to be Naruto's objective in life. To disregard his own safety for the wellbeing of others.

These things, however, did not make him immature, or an idiot. Sakura smiled up at him as he chuckled in that oh-so Naruto way, "I know." His hand dropped back to his side, and she missed it's warmth immediately.

Naruto was nothing short of a miracle, a hero, and somewhere in-between the time Sasuke had left all those years ago, and now at his return, this boy had become someone that she loved with all of her heart.

* * *

Ignore it.

That's what Sasuke did when he saw it from the corner of his eyes.

Even as Nara stood before him, questioning him with that _tone _that made him want to murder someone, and oh how easy it would have been! Even as each word came from his mouth, giving away every little dark secret he had ever known. Even among all of that, he still found it hard to ignore, that Sakura and Naruto, his once-teammates, had settled back into the shadows of the corner of the room. He vowed not to take note of it at all.

Nara spoke. "Sasuke," At this time Naruto was placing his hand on Sakura's shoulder. "You've mentioned before-" Sakura tilted her eyes away from him in embarrassment, in a way he had seen her do in the past, while looking at him- "that you managed-" Naruto smiled down at her, with such a familiar warmth, that Sasuke recognized so well- "To achieve revenge for your clan." Why was it that she didn't look at him like that when she was healing him? His eyes redirected themselves back towards Nara, but somehow, agonizingly, he could still see every move Naruto and Sakura made out of his peripheral vision.

Sasuke nodded as an answer, and Nara seemed to appreciate it. It seemed that they both wanted as little interaction with each other as possible.

"You did this by murdering your brother." A stab to his chest. What the _fuck _did he have to use that tone for. Chiding, _baiting_, like the bastard was trying to milk a reaction out of him.

There was a murderous gleam in his eyes, which he had learned to flip like a switch. It was good for intimidating weaklings back when he stayed by Orochimaru's side. He turned that glare on Shikamaru Nara now, with a new intensity. Not just to intimidate him, but with a promise. If this idiot didn't back down, he was going to get in too deep. Making an enemy out of an Uchiha wasn't a good idea.

Though Sasuke didn't answer him, the shadow wielding man before him gave a bored smile. "Would you care to explain what happened that day."

The blood began pumping in his ears, and his anger was flaring into an uncontrollable ball of red hot resentment in his chest. "No I do not care." He snapped, "It's none of your damn business."

Nara countered easily, "Contrarily, it is our business. As a renegade of Konoha, it's your duty to comply with any questions asked. Come on, Sasuke," He jibed, "Only the people in this room will know, and the Hokage of course." He crossed his arms over his chest.

For a moment, Sasuke considered how easily it would be for him to just kill this man, but then he checked his memories. Shikamaru Nara wasn't a particularly threatening memory in his mind, but he did remember hearing rumors. This man may not have been up to Sasuke's standards, but he was influential in Konoha. It wouldn't do to murder someone on his first day back to his village. After all, that wouldn't get him anywhere fast.

"It's simple really. It was over quickly." He began quietly. He could see Naruto and Sakura had ceased to pretend like he wasn't in the room anymore. They had directed their attention to him. Naruto looked surprisingly serious, and Sakura appeared to be a touch revolted, and uneasy. "I had been hunting him for years, as you'll know. We finally met on the battlefield, and I won. I don't think any further details matter. I defeated him in the end." He didn't want to _think _about this. He especially didn't want to talk about it.

He never wanted to think about his brother again actually.

"Just like that," The Nara chimed, "You defeated Itachi Uchiha simply, and quickly."

Sasuke ground his teeth, and swallowed down a shout. "Yes."

For a long moment, he stared into Nara's eyes, and it was like he was gazing into a vat of mud. They were murky, unimpressionable, definitely not intimidated, certainly not appreciative that Sasuke hadn't killed him yet, and he appeared to be almost complacent. This man was a wild card, and it was disturbing to him.

He wouldn't have guessed as children that Shikamaru Nara would be so astoundingly volatile. There must have been something that brought on this change in him.

After a moment of unimpressed glaring at him, Nara gave a bored shrug, "Well, troublesome as it is, there will be much more questioning after this, but," He angled his shoulders to the side, and glanced back at Sakura and Naruto, "I think I've gathered enough information to report to the Hokage for further deliberation."

Sasuke felt relieved. In fact, he might of let out an appreciative sigh before he could stop himself. That meant they were done for now. No more questions.

Naruto nodded happily, and his scratchy, fun loving voice was actually quite welcomed to Sasuke's ears. "I can agree with ya there."

For a moment Sakura looked cornered, but she gave a small nod, "Hhm," That sounded like it could have been approval, but Sasuke couldn't tell. He didn't have time to think about it, because Nara gave a nod of his own, and he went towards the door.

He paused there and turned back towards Sakura with an expectant gaze. "Sakura," His voice was still barely a peg above bored, but there was something like gratitude in his eyes when Sakura started like an engine. Jumping at the sound of his voice, her feet moving quickly, and she was at his side within seconds. Neither of them said a word before the left. Sakura, Sasuke noted, did not even look back.

He was alone now, with Naruto, in a dark very square, gray and echoing room.

Naruto seemed rather pleased. "They'll be reporting their decision to the Hokage now."

Sasuke acknowledged him with a glance, and he couldn't avoid asking a question this time. Normally, he preferred silence, however, what he liked more than silence was knowledge, and he was currently unsure of his standing. "They're doing what?"

Naruto didn't seemed to mind the question one bit. "They were instructed to report back to her after the initial questioning." The blond was stepping forward now, a happy grin on his face, "They're supposed to decided if they think you're worth risking." It seemed that his best friend's views of him were sterling. There was nothing that would change his mind. To Naruto, he was redeemable, good, friend, memorable. Naruto would always be on his side.

Sasuke considered what he had said. They were deciding if he was worth the risk. Actually, he didn't like the way that sounded. Sakura and Nara were in charge of his status. Last he checked, neither of them appeared to be very friendly with him at the moment. "And if they don't?"

True bafflement colored Naruto's eyes, "If they don't think you're worth the risk?" It seemed like he hadn't considered this fact. This was annoying to Sasuke. Didn't this idiot boy realize that everyone hated him? Not everyone was as trusting and loyal as Naruto.

Sasuke nodded and Naruto grew serious, "You told the truth right?"

For a moment, he felt the surreal quality of the moment like a wave over him. He was sitting in Konoha, simply talking to Naruto. Conversing with someone that several hours ago, had not only defeated him, but had kicked his ass.

For hours he hadn't felt self-loathing, but it returned again with vengeance. What kind of idiot was he to be defeated by his nitwit once-best friend? He looked down at his hands while nodding a yes. Unfortunately he had told nothing but the truth this whole agonizing night.

At this admittance, Naruto seemed to be put at ease. "Then I'm sure they'll do the right thing. You may not believe it Sasuke, but Konoha is your home. We may have been disappointed when you left, but this is where you belong and they know it. They won't let you down." He smiled, "Sakura is much different," There was a sadness in his voice that made Sasuke looked up. With his blank expression, he viewed his friends true regret. "but she won't let you down either. As for Shikamaru, he's a pal. Don't think that he isn't going to give you the chance you deserve."

Deserve. The chance he deserved? _Naruto_, he gazed up at him and something like respect saturated a little of the dark self-loathing present within him. If he had to be defeated by someone, he guessed that Naruto had earned the right. That _idiot_.

* * *

Shikamaru at her side was choosing silence rather than chatter, like Naruto would have, but for some reason, she found it preferable.

Sakura glanced over at him, glad to have him there almost as much as she was with Naruto. Shikamaru and Naruto were both good boys, and had grown into good men.

"So," She began, finding the unapproachable subject impossible to ignore any longer. "You think we should approve it?"

They had finally made it outside, and as soon as she breathed the fresh air, Shikamaru was already lighting a cigarette. He found the smoke more preferable it seemed. "I think he was being honest, but do I personally think we should let him back into the village," With his head tilted to the sky he took another drag, "no."

Sakura let out a carefully controlled breath. "You think he's a threat?"

It seemed clear to her that Shikamaru wasn't okay with the idea of Sasuke at all. "He might have killed me in there. He's hot-tempered and dangerous, and don't believe that he's changed for a minute."

She almost smiled at Shikamaru's ability to be genuinely honest all the time. Yet another thing that he shared in common with Naruto. "He is dangerous, and he does have a bad temper, but I do think he means well." She admitted. It hurt her. Thinking about him hurt, and deliberating this hurt, but it was a necessary evil. "I think he could have lost it, but he didn't." She pointed out, and Shikamaru turned his gaze on her.

"Sakura," He breathed her name on a cloud of smoke, and she somehow found it captivating, even though she didn't appreciate the unhealthiness of the habit. "Are you sure that you're not making excuses for him because you care for him?"

She snorted and turned a resentful glare on him. "Don't you dare accuse me of that!" The dullness of his eyes was a staple of intuition, and it cooled off her anger. "I used to care for him, and old habits die hard, but trust me when I say that I will never make excuses for him." She gazed at her feet as they walked on, "Not anymore."

Shikamaru nodded beside her. She felt his left arm brush her right, and she simply knew that he did it on purpose. He was always doing subtle, clever things like that. "We need to make up our minds before we get to Tsunade."

This was something that she dreaded. "I know."

Maybe he sensed that she was stressing out over it, or maybe he was unsure himself, but he remained silent for almost the entirety of the trip to the Hokage Tower. It seemed that, like always, Shikamaru had done exactly the right thing to make her feel better. It always seemed that way.

What the hell should she do?

She wasn't sure what to do about Sasuke at all. Should she tell Tsunade that she thought Sasuke could be redeemed?

Could he be redeemed? What if they said yes, and then he returned and betrayed them again. What would she do if he came to her after they had admitted him back and gave her that hateful glare, and just simply left.

What if he hurt others in return before he left? If his entire reason for not fighting them more was because he really wanted to come back, because he had some kind of ulterior motive.

She wanted to run away and hide. She didn't want to be a part of this at all, and she especially didn't want to be a part of this decision.

"I wish," She began softly, seeing the Hokage tower in the distance made her heart flutter. "that he hadn't came back at all." She said those words that she was certain made her a bad person. After all, Naruto wouldn't have said something like that. She should be ashamed that she didn't have the same loyalty and resolve as Naruto. Yet, she wasn't. She wasn't ashamed of herself for feeling this way. She was relieved to say it out loud.

Shikamaru did touch her this time without hiding it. He drifted closer to her, so that each step sent their arms bumping softly into each other. "Well, as much as that may be true," She gazed up at him, "he is back Sakura, and now we have to make a decision."

She sighed, "I really don't know."

He nodded, "Well you better decided soon. If it's my call, he's outta here." He said casually, blandly, as if he was simply stating a fact that didn't have anything to do with someone's future.

If Shikamaru felt so strongly about Sasuke not coming back, then she had every right to trust his judgment, because he was a brilliant man. If he didn't feel right, she shouldn't.

Yet, maybe she did.

Maybe she felt bad about Sasuke being back, but she couldn't banish Naruto's smile from her mind. She may have lost faith in Sasuke, but Naruto hadn't, and if she ever had faith in anything in the world, it was Naruto.

Naruto trusted Sasuke, and she trusted Naruto. That should be enough for her.


	5. Coming Down

_Note: If you're a fan of mine, you'll know I've been sick, and that I'm starting school, so I said I wasn't going to post this so soon after the last. However, I figured that since my updates were about to get so spaced, I would grant you one more update before then! This one most likely will be the last for a little while though. College is fairly demanding, and this sickness is really combating my ass. So this one is just because I love you guys so much. : ] There is lots of great shippy action!_

_BTW pleasepleaseplease let me know which ships you like best, and your general opinions on each. There are really only three right now, but I'm kind of evenly distributing them. So far, there is a balance between each of them. Let me know what you think so far!_

_Pairing: Shika/Saku, Sasu/Saku, Naru/Saku~ : ]_

_Rating: M for language and for sexual themes later on!_

_Goal: Hhm, I'll shoot to have it up in two weeks, but who knows, eh? So let's make it three!_

_Disclaimer!_

* * *

_Coming Down_

* * *

As they approached the door that opened into Tsunade's office, Shikamaru hadn't pestered her about her decision. It seemed they were just going to wing it.

Maybe Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't approve of their winging this particular task, but she didn't care. She couldn't make up her mind.

Spare him, or do what was probably the right thing. She was never really good at making these kind of decisions while under pressure.

Fighting, saving lives, being with Naruto and training with Tsunade, these things she knew well. Sasuke was something that she didn't know anymore. Once maybe, but now she couldn't tell up from down when it came to her feelings for Sasuke.

Shikamaru went in first, his shoulder hunched in his classic lazy pose. She drew comfort from his normalcy in this moment, even though her heart was pounding and she was so nervous she thought she might vomit.

They fell into line in front of Tsunade's desk, piled high with paperwork. The amber eyes of her mentor were glassy from what was most likely a recent bout of sake.

She did seem to gaze fondly at them both for a moment. Shikamaru and Sakura, who were two of the most frequently seen shinobi in her office. Her expression leveled out into a serious, slightly inebriated droop. "You two," To her credit, her voice was steady, no slurs, and no apparent lose of social skills. "You're back already?"

They both nodded in agreement, and again Shikamaru seemed to take the reigns. "Uchiha Sasuke is under control. Naruto's with him currently, and Yamanaka Inoichi is on guard outside." For a lazy ass, when it came time to do what needed to be done, he wasn't afraid.

She seemed annoyed with these details, "What've you decided?" She cut in between his words, if he had anything further to say, she wasn't interested.

Shikamaru glanced at Sakura, and she felt her throat constrict. What had they decided after all? They stopped bringing it up after she once again explained that she wasn't sure. Shikamaru was always respectful of her, and didn't mention it again. He was an intelligent man. He was quicker than anyone else beside Naruto to pick up on her small cues. Whenever she was upset, he just knew. When she wanted silence, he supplied it, and when she needed to hear reassurance, he offered a few words. He really was as clever as they said.

She knew what Shikamaru wanted. He wanted Sasuke gone. No more chances and no more excuses. Shikamaru thought of variables, and numbers. He liked to look ahead of things. As an expert strategist, he had worked out the outcomes of accepting a rogue ninja back into their ranks, and ruled it too dangerous.

However, Sakura couldn't bring herself to be so close minded about it. Maybe Shikamaru was right after all when he said that she was going easy on Sasuke. Was she making excuses because she knew him so long ago?

Even if that was the case, it didn't matter. She needed to stand by her team. Naruto, her precious Naruto, wouldn't have any doubt, even for a moment. He wouldn't doubt anyone who had previously given him a reason to believe. In a way, maybe that was just setting him up to be let down, but she couldn't discredit him. She was going to give Naruto what he always wanted, needed and deserved. She was going to give Naruto her unwavering support, and love, even when no one else would.

Naruto wouldn't give up on her, and he wouldn't give up on Sasuke, so neither would she. Maybe she would never care for Sasuke again, or trust him anymore, but she wouldn't turn her back on her team just because she felt betrayed.

After all, he betrayed the whole village, not just her and Naruto. She couldn't be so selfish as to be personally insulted.

"I," She stepped forward, and Shikamaru remained silent, waiting, hoping behind her. "I think he deserves a chance, Tsunade." She said quietly. The words felt wrong on her tongue, false and simulated, but she would learn to believe in them. For Naruto, she would learn. "He didn't show any signs of rebellion, or of dishonesty."

Tsunade gazed at her evenly. They had shared many memories together. Her mentor, and a woman who she looked up to so much. She felt pride in herself whenever she thought about it. She was the apprentice of this astonishing, eccentric, and influential woman.

The woman before her leaned back in her chair as if sitting up was exhausting her energy. She sprawled out in the chair and propped her head up in her hand on the armrest. Her eyes shifted to Shikamaru who was standing obediently behind Sakura, his serious, dull eyes unchanged, and unreadable. "Do you share this opinion, Shikamaru?"

Sakura turned around to face him, but he didn't look at her. His eyes remained trained on Tsunade. In a customary bored tone, with a nonchalant expression, he didn't hesitate in any way. "Yes, Hokage." The words were steady, and terse.

Sakura felt something very tender, and extremely grateful fill up in her lungs and compress her airway. _Shikamaru…I'll owe you forever for this. _She gave him what she hoped was a very thankful smile, but he seemed determined not to meet her eyes.

It was actually very scary that his gaze didn't return to her that moment. Her worrying over it was delayed however by Tsunade's voice in her ear. She turned back around without an answering look from Shikamaru. "If you both agree with giving Uchiha Sasuke another chance, then I trust your judgment. I approve his integration back into the leaf. He'll require a trial of course, but after the questioning ends, and his trial is cleared, I'll grant him exoneration. Of course, if this goes sour, I'll have both of your heads." She said tiredly, as if it was arduous to talk about business. Even the threat wasn't really threatening, but it still made Sakura's heart thump with anxiety. "You may return and inform the Uchiha of the news, but don't leave any details out, and make sure we get every drop of information out of that bastard. Maybe we can use this to our advantage." She finished resolutely, and Sakura didn't even have the strength to feel anything. She was amazingly numb, and a little bit scared.

She had just agreed to allow Sasuke back into her life. She was just letting him walk back into her life when he had so easily walked out of it years earlier.

She followed Shikamaru out of the room, and they walked all the way down the hall, and back out into the fresh air before she resurfaced from her haze. It was a hectic day, and she was getting the feeling that her life was about to turn upside down.

What could she say to him to make it clear how important what he just did for her really was? "Uh, Shikamaru," She began, but he cut her off with his indifferent tone.

He was walking just a few steps ahead of her, and though she couldn't see his face she knew it must have been crafted into a blank, bored mask like usual. "Don't worry about it." His tone was bland, but not hateful, or suggestive that she should owe him something. He didn't turn towards her, or slow down so that she could catch up, but she felt like it was a step in the right direction.

She quickly caught up, so that she was by his side. Even though he didn't look at her, she felt the reoccurring brush of his arm against hers, and felt like maybe it was his way of reassuring her that he wasn't angry. He did it often enough these days that she was beginning to welcome the feel of his arm against hers.

She felt herself smile, and maybe forget about what it was they were going to do. She forgot about Sasuke for just a moment, and instead, was overwhelmed with fondness for this man beside her.

At the sight of her smile, one corner of his mouth lifted into a small grin. A grin that was as lazy as she could imagine Shikamaru could produce.

* * *

He had listened to Naruto tell four separate stories about his training by the time he heard the door creaking open. It was perfect timing, because anymore of Naruto's pointless stories and he might've lost his mind.

Nara stepped in first, with a dull expression, and very closely behind him, followed Sakura.

She immediately fled to Naruto's side, who seemed pleased to have her back. He reached a hand out and casually touched her arm. The effortlessness of the motion, and the way she received it so readily, made Sasuke feel nauseous. Naruto's hand may have dropped back to his side within the moment, and Sakura may have turned to look at Nara, who was approaching the table now, but it didn't stop Sasuke from replaying that moment over and over again. They were so soothing, and comfortable. Assured by each other and happy to be together. Sasuke was revolted at his train of thought.

The Nara looked impatient when Sasuke looked up at him, and it made him angry immediately, impulsively. Who was he to think he deserved Sasuke's attention, even if technically he did, at this time anyways. So what?

"Uchiha Sasuke, do you wish to be integrated back into the leaf?"

That was a very loaded question. It was one thing to agree to give up information, but when it was put so directly, and worded so specifically, it was a hard pill to swallow.

Did he really want to come back to Konoha?

The words wouldn't part from his lips, so he nodded gruffly. He had nothing left, so he supposed this was the natural next step.

Nara looked a bit uncertain, but he nodded nonetheless. "You will continue to give us information of your life outside of leaf, and you will be receiving a due trial. So, welcome back to Konoha, Uchiha Sasuke. Not this week of course, but you'll be walking the streets again soon, Uchiha."

This time, Sasuke was certain there was resentment in the shadow wielders voice. It was shining brightly, like he was unable to hide it behind his normally uninterested demeanor. It was the most expression he'd ever heard in Shikamaru's voice.

From the corner of his eye, he could see that Naruto and Sakura noticed it as well. Naruto was looking rather confused, but Sakura looked upset. She looked really worried actually, and almost a little guilty.

He had a feeling that it would take a long, long time for him to get used to the way Sakura had changed. He sensed quite a change in her, indeed.

So the second proceeding interrogation proceeded, and the shadow wielders' questioning was rather ruthless this time. The questions came one after another, coolly worded, and always followed with a lame, expectant gaze.

Naruto chimed in once or twice, always on his side, like his automatic defense attorney. It was surprisingly pleasing to have someone on his side for once. Someone that didn't expect anything from him, or think ill of him.

However, nothing was more distracting, annoying, absolutely unwanted, than Sakura's vacant expression, only broken occasionally in it's monotony by a frown of doubt.

She wasn't behind him any longer. He could tell that she wasn't sure of where she stood with him, and neither was he really.

He wasn't even sure why he cared if she didn't like him, or care about him, or trust him anymore. All he knew was that he did care.

He cared, and that was enough reason. The assumption could be made that she was angry at him from the last encounter they had. He had tried to kill her in cold blood, so that was a likely reason to hold a grudge. Though, Sasuke didn't sense anger in her gaze, only some ambiguous resentment, and general distaste.

It was beginning to make him very annoyed to look at her. Mostly because he simply did not like being unable to see reason in something. He liked knowing about things, and being able to solve problems. Currently, she was making no sense to him. A nonentity, and it was frustrating in a major way.

Nara Shikamaru, and Haruno Sakura were both confusing to him, but one thing was bothering him most; The both of them had somehow agreed to letting him come back. Regardless of both of their apparent dislike of him, they had both put down an agreement for his case. Why?

Why had they both agreed to let him come back?

He would be getting to the bottom of this soon, because knowing was a hell of a lot better than not knowing.

The last thing he was going to do was owe either of them for their graciousness. They had ulterior motives for letting him come back to Konoha, and if they planned to use those motives against him, they had another thing coming.


End file.
